Let the fun begin.

Howdy folks.
So things are getting real interesting over here for the PC health program workers. This Friday there was a meeting with the ministry of education. At this meeting, the Orthodox church announced that they disagreed with the new health curriculum, and wanted it withdrawn from the schools. After two hours of lively debate, heavily listing towards the opinion of the church, the program was stricken from the Moldovan school system as a mandatory subject. All this after officially being a subject in school for 4 weeks.
The church sited opposition to sexual education, and to informing kids about some of their freedoms in life, such as choosing your own religion. (please bear with me, as I am attempting to write this without adding my opinion.....as stated in peace corps policy). Those of you who know me, and my views on education, can guess my response these proceedings. It would run parallel to my feelings on the churches of America demanding that the theory of evolution be stricken from the curriculum. The only difference here is that rather that it being a single idea erase, it is the entire subject.
Granted, the subject may still exist in some schools in the future. The program will return to a testing phase, and each school with have the option to keep the subject. Thus, to put it simply.... If the school director decides to keep the subject, the mayor agrees with this decision, the school is able to retain a teacher for the subject, and there is a sufficient number of students who wish to still take the subject (as it is now their choice), and they have their parent's written permission-> then... this select group of students in Moldova will be able to receive education in life skills and health. For those of you wondering if this subject is at all valuable here..... I taught a lesson in hygiene last week and no one, not even my teaching partner, knew how to use dental floss, or that it even existed.
This is the current drama in Moldova for us. While I realize that this may pale in comparison to the greater problems of the world, we are grass roots workers, and we have just been uprooted.
More to follow.....